


Phone Tag

by thatmasquedgirl



Series: Leave a Message [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Canon Rewrite, Dialogue-Only, Episode: s01e03 Lone Gunmen, Episode: s01e06 Legacies, Episode: s01e11 Trust But Verify, Episode: s01e12 Vertigo, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Prompt Fill, Season/Series 01, Tumblr Prompt, Voicemail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-23 09:51:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15603732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatmasquedgirl/pseuds/thatmasquedgirl
Summary: Oliver and Felicity have some difficulty communicating due to their very different schedules.Oliver and Felicity meeting for the first time, this time involving answering machines, long messages, and maybe a date or two.Fic told entirely in answering machine messages.Written for TheBookJumper's Olicity Hiatus Fic-A-Thon 2018.  Prompt:  caught in the middle.





	Phone Tag

**Author's Note:**

> It's been forever since I've last posted. I've been running around, trying to get ready to go back to school.
> 
> This is a few weeks behind the OHFAT prompt, but this fic ran away with me. I came across the idea on Pinterest and I couldn't let it go. It was more fun than I thought.
> 
> Thank y'all so much for reading! :)

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity Smoak at Cyber Solutions. Sorry I missed your call. I’m either not at my desk right now or dismantling someone’s computer with my headphones in. Leave your name, number—if not the one you’re using—and a brief message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!”_

“Felicity, my name is Oliver. I have a computer that won’t turn on and I was hoping you’d take a look at it. I work nights, so I probably won’t be available when you call. If I don’t answer, just leave me a message. You can contact me at this number. Thanks.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hey, Mister… Did you even give me your last name? Well, if you did, I didn’t write it down. Sorry.

“I’m calling for Oliver. This is Felicity at Cyber Solutions. Sorry I missed you and your computer. There’s an outside slot in the door of our building if you want to leave it with me. Just print off one of the drop-off forms from our website, fill it out, and attach it to your computer. Make sure you put my name on the ‘tech’ line. I mean, if you want me specifically. I won’t be offended if you don’t.

“… _Anyway_ , list how your computer is misbehaving and any possible causes on the form. I’ll look at it first thing in the morning. Hope to hear from you soon!”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Okay, I know you’re a paying customer and I should be nicer, but… Are you kidding me, Oliver? Anyone could tell that’s a _bullet hole_ in your laptop—you did _not_ spill a latte on it. Which, frankly, I wouldn’t have believed anyway because you don’t sound like a latte kind of guy.

“But despite your ridiculous lie, I did what I could. The casing and screen are shot, so I transferred all your files to a USB drive for now. It and the remnants of your laptop are in lockbox 4B outside the building—the code is five, four, two, seven. Should be easy for you to remember: it spells ‘liar’ on a phone keypad.

“Have a good day. Try not to lie to anyone else—you’re terrible at it.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity Smoak at Cyber Solutions. Sorry I missed your call. I’m either not at my desk right now or dismantling someone’s computer with my headphones in. Leave your name, number—if not the one you’re using—and a brief message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!”_

“Felicity, it’s Oliver. Thanks for all your help. Your payment is in the lockbox. If it exceeds the bill, consider it a tip.

“I’m sorry I upset you with my cause of malfunction. My coffeeshop is in a bad neighborhood.

“And what does a latte kind of guy sound like?”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hi, Oliver, it’s Felicity with Cyber Solutions. Your payment was _ludicrous_. Do you even know how much our services cost? Thirty bucks an hour. It took me two to finish your computer. I’m not opposed to a tip, but _that_ borders on obscene.

“All but sixty dollars of your payment are in the box, waiting for you to pick up. Also, are you _crazy?_ That was all in cash! We pride ourselves in being secure, but this is still _the Glades_. We have a random guy running around at night in Halloween costume who thinks he’s Robin Hood, for Google’s sake.

“…Latte guys sound like art and scarves and poetry readings and hipster glasses. You do not. Don’t get me wrong, you sound very nice, just not like any of those things.

“Have a good day. Next time you rob a bank, don’t use us to launder your money.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity Smoak at Cyber Solutions. Sorry I missed your call. I’m either not at my desk right now or dismantling someone’s computer with my headphones in. Leave your name, number—if not the one you’re using—and a brief message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!”_

“Felicity, it’s Oliver again. Put the rest of the money on your tab because I need you again. I know it isn’t exactly computer work, but I need you to help me find an old buddy of mine. His name is Derek Reston, and I’d like to get back in touch. …It’s a long story, but I’ve been out of the country for five years.

“None of those things are sounds, Felicity. By more importantly, what _do_ I sound like?

“Just in case you think you’re assisting a criminal, I want to assure you that I’ve never robbed a bank in my life. But you seem to know a lot about money laundering.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hi, Oliver, it’s Felicity. I have that information you want…

“Sorry, I just kind of assumed you knew who I am. I mean, the name Felicity isn’t very popular, but you could always know more than one. This is the Felicity at Cyber Solutions.

“I got that information you wanted on Derek Reston. I probably shouldn’t tell you how, since it’s kind of in a legal gray area, but he’s fallen on some hard times. Not an easy guy to find. His last credit card use was at a bar down by the old Queen steel factory. Ted’s Pool Hall. It’s almost maxed out, by the way.

“Mr. Reston’s credit cards, I mean, not Ted’s Pool Hall. I doubt that place has ever seen a full crowd in its colorful history.

“They may not be sounds, but you can’t deny that you know exactly what I’m talking about, Oliver. A lot of my business is by phone. I’m used to learning people by their voices.

“If you must know, you sound like scotch on the rocks and spy movies and boxing rings, with a hint of lost your dog and warm hugs underneath. It’s a strange combination, but it works for you.

“Glad to know you aren’t robbing banks. With the Royal Flush Gang out on the town, one can never be too careful.

“Have a nice day. I hope you’re able to find your friend.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hi, Oliver, it’s Felicity. The one at Cyber Solutions? This may not be my place, but I heard about Derek Reston’s death on the news. I’m sorry about your loss.

“Ugh, that sounds so fake when people say that, doesn’t it? I really am sorry about your friend. I hope you had the chance to talk to him before he passed.

“I also heard he was part of the Royal Flush Gang. He must have been really desperate—he seemed like a nice, family man on paper. I guess things really want downhill for him after the steel factory closed.

“If you need anyone to talk to, you can always call me. And by me, I mean my answering machine. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who isn’t there, doesn’t it? Makes it easier to share our secrets.

“I hope you’re coping okay, Oliver.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity Smoak at Cyber Solutions. Sorry I missed your call. I’m either not at my desk right now or dismantling someone’s computer with my headphones in. Leave your name, number—if not the one you’re using—and a brief message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!”_

“Hey, Felicity. It’s Oliver. Thank you for offering to talk. I didn’t know Derek as well as I led you to believe. I wish I had known him better. But thank you for your call. And for caring.

“You’re the only Felicity I know, actually, but you don’t have to identify yourself. It’s easy to recognize your voice.

“I’m sorry if you broke the law for me. I never meant for you to do that, but thank you for all your help. I did get a chance to talk to him, but it didn’t end the way I would have liked.

“I _did_ know what you were talking about, with people and their voices. I just find it interesting how you can pick those things up in someone’s voice.

“That’s a very interesting description of me. Scotch on the rocks? Spy movies? Boxing rings?

“I can’t picture people by their voices the same way you do, but you sound pleasant. I’m imagining you with brown hair and dark-framed glasses. Maybe curls? And a pink sweater.

“…Despite how things turned out with Derek, I appreciate all your help. You’ll find payment in my box again. Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hi, Oliver, it’s Felicity. I know we don’t really have any business to discuss, but… well, I’ve decided I like talking to you. Or talking to your voicemail, I guess. It’s a shame our answering services were caught in the middle of this. I wish our schedules would line up so that we could meet in person.

“Don’t worry about me breaking the law—I didn’t mind. Between you and me—and your voicemail, of course—I’ve done this kind of thing before. Except it only hurt people. This… it makes me feel like I’m helping. Thank you for that.

“I can’t remember all I told you before. In case you haven’t noticed, I have this terrible habit of speaking without thinking. Anyway, you have this aura of… _roughness_ about you. But in a good way. Hence scotch on the rocks. Spy movies because you’re suave and hiding something underneath your exterior. Boxing rings becuase you seem like danger. Not in a bad way.

“But there’s this… softness to you. Maybe I’m speaking out of turn, but you seem kind of… sad. Lonely, maybe. And despite all that, there’s a gentle type of kindness to you. I don’t hear that very often.

“Your description isn’t terrible, but it isn’t right, either. I’m blonde. I, um… I dye it actually—I’m naturally a brunette. Yes to the dark-framed glasses. No curls, but I _do_ have a pink sweater. It has black cat faces on it, and it’s one of my favorites.

“I’m always glad to help you, Oliver—and not just because you pay me. If you ever need anything else, I’m here to help.

Have a nice day. I hope to hear from you again soon."

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity Smoak at Cyber Solutions. Sorry I missed your call. I’m either not at my desk right now or dismantling someone’s computer with my headphones in. Leave your name, number—if not the one you’re using—and a brief message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!”_

“Felicity, it’s Oliver. I’m glad you left me a message—I like hearing from you, too. I always look forward to seeing a voicemail on my phone from you every evening. I wish I was able to meet you in person.

“I work at a nightclub, in case you were wondering. Nothing too exciting—I mostly handle paperwork. Invoices and receipts. The floor manager does most of the hard work.

“I guess that… talking to you really seems to help. Remember how I told you I’ve been away for five years? Readjusting to life here… it’s been difficult. Everyone wants something. Except you, I mean. I appreciate that.

“Your description of me… it’s accurate. I don’t drink often, but I typically go for scotch on the rocks. I do have secrets. I think I’m dangerous to the people I care about. I have a tendency of hurting them emotionally, even though I don’t mean to.

“I haven’t put much thought into it, but you’re right. I… I feel a little alone at times. I don’t know that I’m kind, but thank you for thinking so.

“Thank you for the description of yourself. I feel like I can see you. I never would have guessed you as a blonde, but I think I like that idea better. It suits you—bright and happy.

“You’re the first person I’ll call when I need help again. I appreciate you listening to my messages. Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Oliver? It’s Felicity. Felicity Smoak who works on your dubious technological things? I know I’m calling from a strange number, but it’s my cell phone. I’m sorry I’m calling you so late, but…

“It occurs to me you’re probably at work right now. Sorry if this is a bad time, but I had to talk to someone and I don’t really know anyone in Starling City. I only moved here because of the job, and all of my friends are on the East Coast and…

“I’m babbling again, aren’t I? I am. It’s just… I’m a little rattled. I was walking to my parking space tonight and someone tried to steal my purse. Held me at gunpoint. Pressed the end of it to my head. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced that feeling, but it’s pretty horrible.

“And if that wasn’t bad enough, I was so scared I couldn’t move. The thief starts screaming at me, but I just froze. I may have said, ‘Please don’t hurt me,’ but I might not have, too. It was so fast that I just can’t remember.

“Suddenly, the gun is gone. I’m knocked to the ground. When I crawl away, I turn back to find Potential Thief being _pummeled_ by the man in the green hood.

“I don’t know how familiar you are with the Glades, but we have this guy running around in a green suit with a bow and arrows. They call him the Hood or something. I just thought he was a myth, but it was him.

“After that, he beat the living hell out of Potential Thief. When Potential Thief was a big, bloody mess, Green Hood comes over and helps me up. Asks if I’m okay. When I nod, he dusts me off and hands me my bag. Then he walked me to my car and watched over me until I stopped shaking. I—”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“It’s Felicity again. Your voice mailbox cut me off. Anyway, I was saying I was stunned how nice he was. Dangerous, but kind at the same time. Not unlike you. …I hope that doesn’t offend you.

“Anyway, I’m just glad to be home and safe. I’ve processed my way through a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream, and I feel better. I stress eat, by the way. Then I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to call you. Which I realize now is kind of foolish. Just ignore me and pretend I didn’t call, okay?”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hi again, Oliver. I’m sorry if I freaked you out last night—just ignore me. That wasn’t very professional.

“I just heard the voicemail you left on my office phone. If I was working at a nightclub, I’d probably want your job. My friends in Massachusetts tried to take me out one time. It isn’t my thing.

“I’m glad you feel like I’m helping, though you probably think I’m deranged now.

“It sounds like you’ve had a hard time adjusting. Have you ever thought about trying to get to know everyone again? Start fresh? My mom and I used to do that when we had an argument—on a much smaller scale, of course. It might help.

“I have to admit, my description of you is a little lacking. It’s more about personality and less about looks. For the record? I like the way you sound. It’s a nice sound.

“We all hurt the people we care about sometimes, though we don’t mean to. You’re just making up for five years away.

“I’m sorry you’re so lonely. If there’s someone who could help, let them in. If not, I’m always available. Well, my voice mailbox, anyway.

“Heh, I’m not always bright and happy. Like I said earlier, I’m a little lonely, too. Which is probably why I’m chatting at your voice mailbox right now. I haven’t really made friends in Starling City for the three years I’ve been here.

“Well, except my ex, but I can’t really call him. Things with Ray were… _stale_. I don’t mean that in a bad way—he was very stable and very sweet. But there was no… _adventure_ to him, you know? No spontaneity. Wouldn’t even try new restaurants.

“…And I’m rambling again. Please ignore me. And, um, bye.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Hey, Felicity. I hope it’s okay I’m calling your personal number, but I thought it might free up your office phone for business. We haven’t been just business for a while now.

“It sounds like you had a rough night. I hope you’re doing better now. I was hoping you took the day off form work, but I’d bet you didn’t.

“I’ve heard a lot of bad things about the Hood. I’m glad he didn’t hurt you—and that he had the good sense to save you. You’re… worth saving.

“Don’t worry about calling me—I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me about it.

“…I think I’m going to try your advice with my sister. Thank you.

“You’re lonely, Felicity? I’m sorry to hear that. I spend most of my days in a sea of people, and I still feel alone. Sometimes I have trouble surrounding myself with the _right_ people. I’m trying, but it isn’t easy.

“I just recently broke up with someone myself. I thought she and I were similar, but it turned out that we had very different opinions. We couldn’t work things out.

“On that note… I, um… I wanted to talk to you about… something else. I… I’m going to be free around six on Saturday night. I would like to meet you in person. Very much. And I wondered… Are you free? There’s a little restaurant over on Ninth and Ford—best burgers in the city. Would you like to go?

“..It, um, it doesn’t have to be a date if you don’t want it to be. And I understand if you don’t want to meet in person. I just… You seem like a person I’d want in my life.

“I… hope I haven’t scared you off. Just… give me a call back, okay?”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity Smoak at Cyber Solutions. Sorry I missed your call. I’m either not at my desk right now or dismantling someone’s computer with my headphones in. Leave your name, number—if not the one you’re using—and a brief message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!”_

“Ms. Smoak, I need your assistance, if you don’t mind. I can’t leave my name, but I’m hoping the voice modulator will tell you all you need to know.

“You said you felt like you owed me a favor. I don’t want you to feel obligated to help me, but if you’d like to, I have a task requiring your skill set.

“I took the liberty of leaving a black arrow in one of the boxes with five-digit locks outside your office. Box 4A. The code on it is four seven, three three six. I’d like to know what you can discover about it—there’s a man going after my previous targets and killing them. I need to stop him before he kills again.

“If you don’t want to get involved, just let me know. My number is blocked, so just call five five five, oh one zero four and leave a message.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hi again, Oliver. … I’m sorry I’m laughing, but your message… well, it was kind of adorable. I saved it. It’s a rare occasion when I’m not the one talking in sentence fragments.

“Yes. Yes to your question. I’d love to finally meet you in person.

“I know Big Belly Burger well, and I can _absolutely_ meet you there at six on Friday! Also, I have to say… you picked a _perfect_ first date spot. It’s cute and light, but it doesn’t pack on a ton of expectations. Thanks for not picking a fancy restaurant.

“You remember what I said about my description, right? Blonde with blue eyes and glasses. I’m about five-six or so. When I figure out what I’m going to wear, I’ll leave you a message so you know what to look for.

“See you on Friday!”

 

* * *

 

_“Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice messaging system. Five, five, five, zero, one, zero, four is not available. At the tone, please leave a message. After leaving the message, you can hang up, or press one for more options.”_

“Wow… um, I was almost expecting it to say whose phone this is. Um, this is Felicity Smoak. At Cyber Solutions?

“The… _device_ you left with us last night had a patent number on it. The composite is registered to Sagittarius, LLC. They’re located at one oh two four five Wharf Drive. I hope that helps.

“You can pick up your _device_ at any time.

“…Before I hang up, I have to say, I appreciate your sense of humor. The code on the box? It spells ‘green.’ I think you planned it that way.

“If you ever need help again, just let me know. It might be better for you if you reached me at home. My personal cell number is five five five, nine one zero two. If you need to drop something off, you can leave it on the back patio at my home. I live at eighteen seventy-two Northview Road.

“Good luck out there.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“I’ll see you at six tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Thank you for your assistance, Ms. Smoak. We’ll be in touch.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hi, Oliver. I’ll be seeing you in just a few hours— _actually_ seeing you, I mean. Looking forward to it.

“I’m going to be wearing a blue— No, Pixel, get off that! …Yes, you’re cute and I love you, but you’ve just ruined my outfit.

“…Sorry, I was yelling at my cat. She’s cute, but she’s obsessed with my bed. Which is less fun when I’m throwing clothes around.

“ _Anyway_ , I’ll be wearing a _red_ dress. Not blue, since I don’t think it’s appropriate to wear clothes covered in silver cat hair.

“See you in two hours!”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“I’m here and I’m sitting one one of the barstools by the window. I’ll see you soon. Bye.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Hey, Felicity. I know it’s late, but I wanted to leave you a message to listen to in the morning. I just wanted to tell you… I had a great time with you. I wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime.

“I think I remember some rule about not calling until three days after a date? I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a little out of practice.

“…Okay, now I’m just dragging this out. I’m gonna go now. Bye.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Miss Smoak, I need your help again. I’ve picked up a security fob from the men performing the armored car heists. I need your help to determine which one they’ll hit next.

“I took the liberty of leaving it in the birdhouse—I saw it had a secret compartment. I hope to hear from you soon.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Oliver, I just heard your message. I don’t think you sound out of practice at all! It was really sweet.

“I had a wonderful time at dinner last night. Though I was definitely surprised to find that I was meeting Oliver _Queen_. Not that your last name made any difference. It’s just that… well, the Oliver Queens of the world don’t usually pay much attention to the Felicity Smoaks of the world.

“Anyway… in the interest of full disclosure, I actually worked at Queen Consolidated for a few years after I graduated. Your stepfather, Mr. Steele? He’s a very nice man. I hated leaving, but the pay is better at Cyber Solutions. It was nothing personal. I’d love to go back, but I’m waiting for the right position to open up. Taking viruses off computers is not a good use of my skills.

“And now I’m the one babbling at you. Any time you’re free and want to meet again, just give me a call.

“On that note… the Spring Street Park is having their usual end-of-summer festival two weeks from today. Food, art, music, games… that kind of thing. I usually go every year—they have the best beef hot dogs and these ribbon fries that are great with extra cheese. If you want, we could go together? It’s okay if it isn’t your thing. I realize now that being outdoors might bring back… bad memories. Just let me know.

“…Now I understand why you sounded so nervous asking me out. It’s very stressful. I’ll, um, talk to you later. Bye.”

 

* * *

 

_“Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice messaging system. Five, five, five, zero, one, zero, four is not available. At the tone, please leave a message. After leaving the message, you can hang up, or press one for more options.”_

“Hey, it’s Felicity. I just decrypted your key fob. It’s… kind of scary. They have detailed information about armored truck routes all over the city. You might be able to use their pattern to predict their next target. It’s registered to Blackhawk Security Group, if that helps.

“I left the information on a USB drive. As soon as I get home from work, I’m going to put it and the key fob back in my fake birdhouse. It kind of freaks me out that you found it, but I guess you didn’t use my spare key to break into my house, so we’re good.

“Anyway, good luck with your armed robbers. They have grenade launchers and tear gas, so just… watch yourself, okay?”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Hey, Felicity. I’d love to go with you to that summer festival. Just tell me when and where you want to meet. I haven’t done anything like that in a very long time. I’m actually more comfortable in open spaces—it feels familiar.

“The reason I called you for help was because Walter recommended you, actually. He told me you were one of the best they had in IT at the company. He may have mentioned contracting you for a few, specialty projects since you’ve been at Cyber Solutions.

If it’s okay with you, I’ll call you about six tomorrow night, just to talk. I enjoy the sound of your voice. Have a good day at work."

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Smoak. I’ve picked up the items. …I don’t think you’ve realized how many lives you just saved. Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Oliver, hi. I’ll give you details about the festival next week. It’s just down the block from my house. Parking is always crazy, so if you want, you can just park in my driveway and we’ll walk. Just something to think about.

“If that mention about Mr. Steele was supposed to make me give up QC business, you don’t know me very well. I don’t talk about any clients I may or may not have. The Green Hood guy could be contacting me for tech support and I’d never say a word. Client confidentiality is a must in my business.

“I will say that Mr. Steele has always been nice and I’ve enjoyed working with him in the past.

“I’m looking forward to hearing from you tonight. Talk to you soon!”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Oliver, it’s Felicity. It’s six-thirty and I haven’t heard from you. Which is fine, but it’s not like you. Just give me a call when you get this, okay?”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“It’s Felicity again. Disregard my last message—I saw the news. I hope your sister is okay after her accident. Don’t worry about me—your family needs you more right now. If there’s anything I can do to help… just let me know. Call me when you can.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Ms. Smoak, I need your help again. I’ve left a syringe in our usual place. It’s filled with Vertigo. I need to find the dealer. If there was a way you could track any of its contents to a location in the city, I’d be grateful.

“I… know this is out of your area of expertise, but you’re the only one I can trust. If you can’t help, I’d understand. Stay in touch.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Felicity, I’m sorry to call so early. My name is John Diggle. I work for Oliver. He can’t call himself right now because of family matters, but wanted me to pass on a message. He wanted me to thank you on his behalf for your messages, patience, and understanding. Oliver also wanted me to tell you that he hasn’t forgotten about Saturday. Your plans sound good to him—just leave him an address and a time.

“Have a good day, Felicity.”

 

* * *

 

_“Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice messaging system. Five, five, five, zero, one, zero, four is not available. At the tone, please leave a message. After leaving the message, you can hang up, or press one for more options.”_

“You just love asking the impossible of me, don’t you? I don’t have the capability of doing a spectroanalysis of the drug here, but I might know someone. It could take a couple of days. I’ll call you back when I have something.

“In the meantime… I’ve heard you’re beating up Vertigo dealers. Be careful.”'

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, this is Curtis Holt in the QC Applied Sciences Division. I’m out of my office right now—I usually am—but as soon as I come back, I’ll return your call. Leave your name, number, and a message. Talk to you soon!”_

“Curtis, this is Felicity Smoak. I don’t know if you remember me, but I worked at QC about a year ago. I was in IT and you were in Applied Sciences, so our offices were right next to one another. We had lunch together a few times?

“Anyway, I’m at Cyber Solutions now. A client of mine there brought me a task that’s more in your wheelhouse. If you want to talk about it, I’ll meet you for lunch at around noon at the bistro across from QC. If you can’t, jut give me a call back at five five five, nine one oh two. Thanks.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Felicity, it’s Curtis. Of course I remember you! I’m glad I have your number now—I’ve missed having lunch with you. I’ll see you at noon.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Oliver, hey. Thanks for having Mr. Diggle call me—that was really sweet. I heard the trial isn’t going well. I’m sorry.

“My address is eighteen seventy-two Northview Road. The event starts at nine next Saturday, so I thought maybe we could meet around then? Just let me know.

“I’m hoping things go well for your sister. I don’t know Thea, but I know you and I’m sure you’re having a hard time with this. Let me know if I can do anything beside hoping for the best.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Felicity, it’s Curtis. What the hell have you gotten me into? I ran the compound and I know what it is. The question is: do _you_ know what you have?

“Because I know you, I’m going to assume there’s a very good reason behind all of this and that you have the best intentions. I isolated the solvent in the sample—it’s runoff water. Judging by the particulates in it, it originates from a ten-block radius of the East Glades near the bay.

“Please come get your sample soon. It’s freaking me out.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, this is Curtis Holt in the QC Applied Sciences Division. I’m out of my office right now—I usually am—but as soon as I come back, I’ll return your call. Leave your name, number, and a message. Talk to you soon!”_

“Curtis, you’re amazing. Thank you. I’ll come pick up the sample on my lunch break. I promise to explain everything then, but I wanted to assure you that this is important and you’ve just saved lives by helping me. See you soon.”

 

* * *

 

_“Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice messaging system. Five, five, five, zero, one, zero, four is not available. At the tone, please leave a message. After leaving the message, you can hang up, or press one for more options.”_

“According to a friend of mine—who has a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry—the sample you gave me comes from the area of the East Glades near the waterfront. I looked it up, and there’s nothing there but an old detention center. It was abandoned about three years ago.

“Your sample will be where you left it by tonight. I hope you stop the guy making this poison.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Thank you, Felicity. I appreciate all the effort you’ve gone to on my behalf.

“It might please you to know that the Count—the man making Vertigo—is in police custody.

“I’ll contact you soon.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Hey, it’s Oliver. Sorry I haven’t been around this week. I have good news: because they arrested the Count, my sister is getting a reduced sentence. Probation and community service. It’s better than I could have hoped for.

“The police said the Hood left the drug dealer for them. I don’t know why he chose to target the Count, but I’m glad he was able to stop the spread of the drug. The judge was talking about making an example out of Speedy. …That’s the nickname I gave Thea when she was a kid. Anyway, I’m glad it didn’t come to that.

“…Some of our help came from Laurel, my ex. I’m sure you remember—it was all over the news. Those… weren’t my finest moments. Laurel… she’s dating my best friend, Tommy. I expected to be jealous or angry, but… I’m not. She deserves to be happy, and we were never right for each other.

“I… I don’t know why I’m telling you this. It’s… hard to talk to Tommy about Laurel now. He looks like he’s going to tell me he’s been diagnosed with a terminal illness every time her name comes up. She’s moved on, and I understand that. But he still acts like I’m going to throw a fit.

“Part of the reason why I think it’s easier is because we’re dating now. Or, we’ve been on a date. I don’t want to read into this something that isn’t there. …My point is that you make things better.

“I’ll… talk to you soon, Felicity. I hope you sleep well.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Hi, Oliver. That’s great news about your sister! I don’t pretend to know Hood Guy’s motives, but I’m grateful. You would have been sick if anything happened to Thea. Even after one dinner, I can tell she has you wrapped around her little finger.

“It sounds like you’re in a good place with Laurel if you two can carry on a civil conversation after everything that happened. I’m glad that you’re happy and she’s happy. Watching your ex date your best friend could be complicated. I’m glad it isn’t.

“You aren’t reading anything into this, Oliver. I’d be okay with calling it dating. You… were a surprise. A pleasant one. I already liked you before I met you. And it doesn’t hurt that you’re ridiculously handsome. …Ugh, forget I said that.

“Do you… want to come over tonight? I can’t cook, but I’m in the mood for pizza, ice cream, and a movie. It’s okay if you can’t, but Pixel isn’t the best movie-watching partner. She’s a notorious pizza thief and she tries to attack the screen whenever there’s a cat on it. Um, if you want, you can be there around seven?

“Hope to see you tonight. If not, talk to you soon.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“Felicity, it’s a date. I’ll see you at seven.”

 

* * *

 

_“Hi, you’ve reached Felicity. I’m either at work or asleep. Which is pathetic, but true. You can leave me a message, send a text, or try again later. Sorry I missed you!”_

“It’s Oliver. It’s about five a.m. right now. I’m sorry to leave before you wake up, but my mother just called. Nothing is wrong—just a family argument between my mother and my sister.

“Thank you for letting me use your guest room—and for the movie, pizza, and ice cream. I’d never seen _Edge of Tomorrow_. I can’t wait to see you again on Saturday. Leave a message for me soon.”

 

* * *

 

_“This is Oliver. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”_

“Oliver, it's Digg.  I know you came from Felicity's place.  You need to tell her, man.  You have her caught in the middle, between Oliver and the Hood.  She deserves to know.  I know you don't like to listen to me, but… just think about it, okay?

“Anyway… I have information for you.  You aren't gonna like it.  Meet you at the base.  Try not to do anything stupid in the meantime.”

**Author's Note:**

> There will probably be a sequel or an additional chapter later because there's so much more I wanna write, but I have another idea brewing right now that I'm gaining ground on. ;)


End file.
